I admit it – I’m a tech nerd outside work and my professional life gives me the chance to bring my personal life to work with me, because I focus on intellectual property (IP) and technology.

It’s a highly innovative area of law – technology is progressing all the time, and so the solutions I need to offer clients have to keep pace.

Working with a range of tech companies and IT providers, I deal with a variety of IP challenges.

For example, I would advise anyone who commissions creative work or is having software developed for them to make sure they think about protecting that investment.

Don’t take it for granted that you own the intellectual property rights – you may see a copy of your work up for sale and be powerless to stop someone else taking the credit.

BUSINESS LAW: Be ready to negotiate for your dream home

Plan ahead – make sure that you get the legal protection you need early on, to protect your work in development, your brand and your assets.

It is easier to prevent a problem arising than it is to fix it once it’s happened.

Being able to bring my own enthusiasms into my work is not only a bonus for me, but also valuable to clients; I speak their language and I really understand what they want to achieve.

I’m interested in artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality and esports – the kind of emerging technology and industries which are creating new possibilities globally.

The key to success, in terms of protecting your innovation, is to make sure that you have contracts and agreements in place which really reflect your business needs – then you can really take control of your future.